Eternity
by Little Witch
Summary: This is a Lily/James fiction, but unlike many others, it doesn't just concentrate on them, there's lots of other stuff as well, so read and review! New Chapter Uploaded!
1. PART ONE - Chapter One - My Bit of Rough

A/N: A brand new fic from me. There are going to be Three Parts, each with several chapters. I hope you enjoy! 

A/N: A brand new fic from me. There are going to be Three Parts, each with several chapters. I hope you enjoy!

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 1 – MY BIT OF ROUGH

__

Candle light and soul forever,

A dream of you and me together,

Say you believe it, say you believe it,

Free your mind of doubt and danger

Be for real don't be a stranger,

We can achieve it, we can achieve it,

Come a little bit closer baby, get it on, get it on,

'Cause tonight is the night when two become one

Spice Girls – 2 become 1 - Spice

* * *

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, how about we break it off?" Sirius asked.

The girl sitting opposite him nodded.

"I suppose it would be for the best. But can we still be friends?" the girl said.

"Forever," whispered Sirius as he leaned in to give the girl a hug. "Come on. Everyone will be wondering where we are."

He pulled the girl to her feet and together they walked off towards the common room.

* * *

"Lily! Sirius! Where have you been?" asked a girl with purple-streaked black hair.

"Just sorting something out," Lily replied, smiling sadly at the girl, whose name was Kally.

Lily didn't know why she was sad. She and Sirius had only been going out about four months, and she didn't love him, but yet she was feeling unhappy about the break up.

She stood up and walked to the portrait hole, telling her friends she was going to get a breath of fresh air.

Sensing there was something wrong, James announced he was going to get some food from the kitchens. Instead, he followed Lily out of the castle. He wondered where she was going. Surely not to the Forbidden Forest? No, she wouldn't dare.

Lily didn't go to the Forbidden Forest; she went to a tall, forlorn tree, climbed it and sat in the highest branch. This was her thinking place. The place she came to when she needed to be alone. Of course, she wasn't alone, for at the foot of the tree stood James, wondering whether or not to climb up after her.

If he did, would she see it as a gesture of kindness, or as him trying to make a pass at her? For the last four years, he had tried to catch her eye, and had asked her out numerous times, but she had always declined his offer. Yes, he fancied her, what guy in the school didn't? But he also felt something different about Lily than he had for other girls. 

After about a minute of silent arguing with himself, James decided to go against his better judgment and climb up the tree. Lily was not deaf, and therefore could hear the leaves rustling below her.

She peered down between the thick foliage and saw a black haired, bespectacled boy climbing the tree.

She panicked. How did he know she was here? Had he followed her? She didn't have time to ask herself anymore questions because James was pulling himself up onto the branch on which Lily sat, smiling inanely at her.

"What do you want?" she asked wearily.

"To see what was wrong," James replied.

"There's nothing wrong, Potter."

"Yes, there is. Your eyes are telling me."

"My eyes?" Lily questioned, "my eyes can't talk."

"Yes, they can. Usually when you're being normal, your eyes are bright and they light up when you speak. Right now they've lost that sparkle and they're dull," James said.

Lily sighed. "Sirius just broke up with me," she said.

"He did?" James looked surprised. Sirius usually talked to him before breaking it off with a girl.

"Yeah." A solitary tear slid down Lily's face.

"Why?"

"He said that his heart wasn't in it. And he also said something strange. He said 'your true love is closer than you think. You just have to use your eyes.'"

James snorted.

"Since when has Sirius taken to Divination?" he asked.

Lily laughed through her tears.

"I don't know why I'm crying. I didn't love him. Not really. I cared for him, of course. He was just my bit of rough, I suppose." 

She wiped the tears off her face and smiled at James.

"Thanks."

"What for?"

"For being a friend."

Lily shivered.

"I think it's time we went in, don't you?" James asked.

Lily nodded. Slowly they climbed down from the tree and made their way back up to the castle.

* * *

James pondered over what Lily had said for some time. Why had he broken up with her? He had no reason to. When they reached the Gryffindor common room, James went straight up to his dormitory. There he found Sirius lying on his bed reading. He got straight to the point.

"Sirius, why did you break up with Lily?" he asked.

"Dunno. Just felt like it I suppose." Sirius replied.

"That isn't a reason. Why really?" James said back.

"I did it for a friend."

"I don't understand. What do you mean? Someone asked you to break up so you did?" James looked confused.

"Geez, James! You're more of an idiot than me! I broke up with Lily for you. Get it?"

"Um, not really, no," James answered.

Sirius didn't reply, he just turned around and walked out of the room, muttering about something or other.

James now felt very confused. Sighing, he lay on his bed and fell asleep.

* * *

"Lily, what do you think of Remus Lupin?" Kally asked her friend.

"As what? A friend, boyfriend?" Lily asked.

It was now two weeks after Lily had broken up with Sirius, and she felt much happier. 

"A friend," Kally replied, and paused. Then she decided, "boyfriend."

"He's alright. A bit quiet. Why?"

"No reason," Kally replied.

"Come on. There's got to be a reason. You can't just ask me that without giving me a reason," Lily wheedled.

"There's no reason! I just wanted to know!" Kally shouted, then she burst into tears and went and locked herself in the bathroom.

"Kally! Open the door!" Lily banged on the door to the bathroom with her fist. "Let me in!"

* * *

"It's no use," said another of their roommates, and Lily's other best friend, Jenine Watts.

Kally had locked herself in the bathroom two hours ago, and she still hadn't come out. She had magicked the lock on the door with her wand so that only she could open it.

"I'm going to talk to James," Lily said.

"Why?" asked Jenine.

"He's Remus's friend. He might know what's going on."

Lily left the dormitory, and walked down to the common room. She saw James sitting with his friends, Sirius, Peter and Remus. She went over to them.

"James, could I talk to you?"

"Sure." 

Lily waited. "Alone."

She looked meaningfully at Sirius, Remus and Peter, and they seemed to get the picture. They went and sat down on the other side of the room.

"So. What do you want to talk about?" James asked, once they were out of earshot.

"Kally. She's being really weird."

"Why?" James frowned. Kally wasn't one of his good friends, why would Lily want to talk to him about her?

"Well, she was talking to me, and she brought Remus up." Lily explained what had happened and asked James if he knew why.

"Has Remus been acting at all strange?"

"Not that I've noticed. I could talk to him."

"No! Don't do that! Kally would kill me!"

"Okay." James looked doubtful. "If I notice anything, I'll tell you."

"Thanks, James." Lily hugged him, the stood up. "I'm going to see if she's come out yet. Oh – you don't know of any spells that can override a Locking Charm, do you?"

James shook his head. 

"Okay, thanks. See you later." Lily hurried back up the stairs. Once she had gone, Sirius, Remus and Peter resumed their positions on the couch.

"What'd she want?" Sirius asked.

"She just wanted to talk."

"What about?" probed Peter.

"A girl," James replied.

"Who?" Peter said again.

James hesitated, then looking closely at Remus, he replied "Kally."

To James great surprise, Remus paled, the he stood up and announced that he was going to bed.

__

That's strange,James thought_. Very strange._

* * *

__

Silly games that you were playing,

Empty words we both were saying,

Let's work it out boy, lets work it out boy,

Any deal that we endeavor,

Boys and girls feel good together,

Take it or leave it, take it or leave it

Spice Girls – 2 become 1 - Spice

* * *

A/N How did you like it? You can tell me what you thought by writing in that box down there. Can anybody guess what is wrong with Kally? I can. Because I've got the whole story written out, right to the very end. So if you want the next part quickly, review!

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Contact at: fleurdelacour@teen.com


	2. Chapter Two - I Have a Very Big Problem

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS 

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 2 – I HAVE A VERY BIG PROBLEM

__

Touch my skin, and tell me what you're thinking  
Take my hand and show me where we're going  
Lie down next to me, look into my eyes and tell me, oh tell me what you're seeing  
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling  
what you feel now is what I feel for you  
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you  
I'll always be alone  
if I'm lying to you  
See my eyes, they carry your reflection  
Watch my lips and hear the words I'm telling you  
Give your trust to me and look into my heart and show me, show me what you're doing  
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling  
what you feel now is what I feel for you

Dido – Take My Hand – No Angel

* * *

"Kally? Open the door, girl. Come on," Lily coaxed. Kally still hadn't come out of the locked bathroom, which made Lily and Jenine very worried. They had decided that if she hadn't unlocked the door in another half an hour, they were fetching Dumbledore. It didn't seem a normal Kally idea; she was always usually so sensible.

Lily and Jenine heard the lock on the door click open and saw Kally standing in the doorframe. Lily hugged her tightly.

Kally's eyes were puffy from the hours of crying and her face was pale.

"Kal, what's up? People just don't go and lock themselves in the bathroom for two hours for no reason."

"I can't tell you. If I do, it'll get worse," Kally sniffed. Lily could tell she was going to break down again if they didn't stop questioning her.

"I think you ought to go to bed," Jenine said. Kally nodded, and allowed herself to be led to her bed by the two girls.

Once they had made sure Kally was asleep, Lily and Jenine went down to the common room, and collapsed in chairs next to James, Peter and Sirius.

"Where's Kally?" asked Sirius.

"Asleep," Lily replied.

Sirius asked no further questions, he could tell that Lily didn't want to answer any.

Conversation seemed to stop here. No one seemed to have anything to say. Finally, after about five minutes of silence, Lily announced that she was going to bed. The others nodded their recognition, but remained silent. She went up to her dormitory and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Sirius!"

"What?"

"I have a very big problem."

"What, James?"

"I think I'm in love."

"Cool."

James rolled his eyes.

"So, what do I do about it?"

"Don't ask me." replied Sirius.

"You're not being very helpful." James said.

"I know," grinned Sirius. "Maybe it'll help if you told me who you think you're in love with?"

"Somehow I don't think so, because then I'd wake up to find big posters with the words 'James loves Lily' all over them."

"So it's Lily you think you're in love with then?"

"When did I say that?" James looked confuddled.

"Just now."

"Oh, yeah," James paused. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Cross my heart," replied Sirius, as he grinned evilly.

"Okay then."

Remus came in the room then, and James and Sirius's conversation stopped abruptly.

"Why do I get the feeling you were just talking about me?" he asked suspiciously.

"Dunno. 'Cause we weren't." James replied, swinging his legs over his bed and jumping off. "Anything you want from the kitchens?"

Sirius and Remus shook their heads.

  
"Okay. And Sirius – remember, not a word, okay?"

Sirius nodded. As soon as James had left the room, he turned to Remus.

"Guess what? James is in love with Lily!"

"Should I still guess?"

* * *

Kally seemed to have recovered from her little break down the day before, but there was still something decidedly odd going on. The three girls, Lily, Kally and Jenine, were walking along the corridor one day when all around them, bright orange notices sprang up on the walls. Curious, the girls went to see what they were.

"Odd. Orange parchment," Jenine commented. Lily read the notice aloud:

__

"ATTENTION 5TH TO 7TH YEAR:

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A 'SPRING HOP' ON THE 29TH OF MARCH FROM 7-10PM. ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY, SO PLEASE BE PROMPT. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.

THIS IS THE FIRST SCHOOL DANCE IN OVER A CENTURY, SO PLEASE RESPECT THE RULES, OR IT WILL BE THE LAST. TO VIEW THE RULES, PLEASE VISIT MR FILCH'S OFFICE.

THANK YOU

__

PROFESSOR M. MCGONAGALL"

"Well, this is a surprise. Since when has this school ever had a dance?" Jenine asked.

"The last dance was over a century ago. Can't you read?" Kally said quite spitefully. Then she stalked off down the corridor.

"What's up with her?" Jenine asked.

"I don't know. She's been weird ever since she locked herself in the bathroom yesterday. There's definitely something wrong with her," Lily replied.

"How will we find out? She's won't tell us, not when she's in this funny mood," Jenine said. She looked worried.

"There is a way, but it's quite dangerous if not done properly," Lily replied, her face serious.

"What is it?" Jenine asked.

"Well, whatever's bothering her seems to be bothering her quite a lot, so she'll probably dream about it at night. There's a spell called 'Réverel' which allows you to enter a person's dreams. The problem is, you need three people to do the spell."

"We can try it, I guess. It's the only way we'll know what's wrong."

"Who can the third person be though?"

"You're pretty close to James, aren't you?" Jenine asked.

"Well, yeah," Lily reasoned.

"Well he can be the third person then. We'll do the spell tonight."

__

Feel the sun on your face and tell me what you're thinking  
Catch the snow on your tongue and show me how it tastes  
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you  
I'll always be alone  
if I'm lying to you  
Take your time, if I'm lying to you  
I know you'll find that you believe me  
you believe me

Dido – Take My Hand – No Angel

* * *

A/N Well that's the second chapter over and done with. Review and you get the third one. It's as simple as that. 

Beta-Read by: sexyfleurbaby

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Contact at: fleurdelacour@teen.com


	3. Chapter Three - These Dreams

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS 

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 3 – THESE DREAMS

__

She lies on the bed

With her hands in her head

And she screams

He gets a kick out of losing the plot so it seems

He makes you laugh so she's the one doing harm

But how can you fight when she's not

The one under his arm

Robbie Williams – These Dreams – I've Been Expecting You

* * *

The Spring Hop was causing a lot of hubbub in the school; the students were too busy asking others to the dance to study.

Several boys, all of to which she had refused to go with, had asked Lily out. Jenine was getting quite frustrated with her; some of the boys that had asked her were quite nice looking.

"Look, Lily. The next boy who asks you to the dance, you have to go with. Okay?"

"Sure, whatever, Jenine"." Lily wasn't really in the mood to argue; she was very worried about Kally.

"Great. So even if it's the ugliest Slytherin in the school, you have to agree to go to the ball with him," Jenine said, "okay?"

Lily nodded absently. Her mind wasn't really on what Jenine was saying.

It was a Saturday, so the girls could do anything they wanted. At the moment, Kally, Jenine and Lily were walking down the High Street in Hogsmeade, after having bought formal robes for the Hop.

The three girls were making their way up to the Three Broomsticks, for a warm Butterbeer, because although the sun was shining, it was a cold morning.

The Three Broomsticks was very crowded, pushing through the hordes of people the girls found a small table at the back of the lounge. Lily went to the bar to order drinks from the barmaid, Louise.

"Three Butterbeers please Lou."

Louise quickly poured three tankards of Butterbeer. Lily paid and was about to return to the table when she was approached by Frank Longbottom, a boy in the Seventh Year, a year above Lily.

"Hi, Li – Lily. Um, do you, do you want to go to the Spring Hop with me?" Frank asked, blushing furiously.

Lily remembering her promise to Jenine nodded.

"Yeah, okay then. I'll meet you there."

Frank's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he swallowed the wrong way.

  
"You will?" he squeaked.

"Yep." Lily wasn't very good friends with Frank, but when she had been acquainted with him, he had seemed nice enough, and she wasn't one to break a promise.

"Alright then." Frank said, then walked back over to his friends.

Lily balancing the three tankards on a flimsy tray made her way to the table.

"What took you so long?" Kally grumbled.

Lily sighed. "Frank Longbottom just asked me to the Hop. I had to say yes because of our promise."

"So you're going to the dance with Frank Longbottom." Jenine said, "poor you."

"What do you mean 'poor you'?" Lily asked.

"Well he's not exactly the face of the century is he?" Jenine said.

"So? Looks aren't all that matters." Lily retorted.

"Well I'd rather go out with, say, Sirius than Frank." Jenine replied.

"Go and ask him then."

"He's not here." Jenine smiled smugly.

"Yes he is. He's just walked in with James." Kally observed.

"Alright then I will." Jenine said, "just after I finish my Butterbeer."

* * *

"So you think I should ask her?" James asked doubtfully.

"Go for it. I heard Jenine making her promise that she would go to the Hop with the next boy who asked her. That was only about fifteen minutes ago, no one will have asked her already." Sirius replied.

"Alright then. I'll go in a minute."

"Go now! Carpe Diem, remember."

"Alright."

James stood up and walked over to the table that the three girls were sat at.

"Lily, could I speak with you?" James asked.

Lily, thinking he wanted to ask about the Dream spell, obliged and went over to a corner.

"Okay. Do you want to go with me to the Spring Hop?"

Lily's face fell.

"Oh. Déjà vu." she sighed.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"Frank Longbottom just asked me exactly the same thing."

"You didn't say you'd go with him did you?" James looked worried.

"Yes. I'm really sorry James. It's just that I promised Jenine that I would go with the next boy who asked me."

"It's okay. Um, are we still doing the dream spell tonight?"

"Yep. Meet me and Jenine in the common room at one o'clock."

"Okay. See you later."

James walked dejectedly back to his table.

"Well?" Sirius asked.

"She said no. She's going with Frank Longbottom." James replied.

"Oh." Sirius was grinning.

"What are you grinning for?" James asked.

"While you were speaking to Lily, Jenine asked me to go to the ball with her."

"She asked you. Isn't that a bit strange?"

"It's the seventies James. Get with it."

* * *

The dream spell was all prepared. Each person taking part knew what they had to do or say. They planned to perform the incantation that night, as soon as Kally had fallen asleep.

Lily, who was still rather opposed to the spell, tried to get information out of Kally during the day, but as before she was rather aggressive and ended with her storming off. In the end, Lily was resigned to the fact that she would have to perform the spell if they were ever going to work out what was wrong.

As planned, Jenine and Lily met up with James at one o'clock in the common room. Quietly, covered with James's invisibility cloak as a precaution. In one hand, Lily clutched a bag of sand.

As she climbed the stairs to the girls dorm, the words of a childhood song her Mother used to sing to her filled her head:

__

"Sleep my baby,

Close your eyes,

Sandman's calling,

From the skies.

Sleep my baby,

Rest your head,

Sandman's nearing,

He'll leave you dreaming."

Quietly they entered the dorm and went to Kally's bed. It didn't look as though she was sleeping comfortably, for she was tossing and turning beneath the bed clothes.

"Okay, everybody ready?" Lily asked.

Jenine and James nodded.

"Right. On my count. One, Two, Three."

All three closed their eyes and Lily threw the magic sand over Kally, then they all placed their hands onto her head. Immediately, the room began to fade and was instead replaced by a place that was white and fuzzy around the edges.

Jenine tried to speak but couldn't. She looked down and saw that her body wasn't there. When she looked around she couldn't see James or Lily. Instead of actually being inside the dream, she was observing. Sub consciously, Jenine was worried. They were actually supposed to appear in physical form.

As she watched, the surroundings around her changed. They were replaced by a sunny field, river and a blue sky. The edges were still white and fuzzy though. Jenine saw Kally sitting by the river with a baby in her arms. The baby wasn't crying, but Kally was. As Jenine watched, she saw a man emerge out of the water and put his arms around the sobbing Kally. 

Jenine had had enough. She closed her eyes and wished herself out of the dream. A moment later, she emerged back into the dormitory.

Standing beside the bed were Lily and James.

"What happened?" Jenine asked, fearfully. Both Lily and James were pale and she supposed she was as well.

"I don't know. I went into the dream and when I looked around I couldn't see either you or James, or my own body." Lily said.

"I saw Kally in a house reading a bedtime story to a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes." James said. "I couldn't see closely, but it looked like Kally was crying."

"That's completely different from what I saw." Lily said frowning. "I saw Kally in a hospital with a load of doctors around her. I think she was having a baby."

"I didn't see anything like that at all. The thing I saw was quite surreal." Jenine said, "There was a field with a river. Kally was sitting beside the river holding a baby in her arms. She was crying, then a man came out of the river and hugged her. I wanted to get out then, so I did."

"What does it all mean? And why did we all see different things?" James asked.

"I don't know why we saw different things, but I think I know the meaning of why we saw the scenario's that we did." Lily said.

"Why?"

"I think Kally's pregnant."

__

These dreams have let you down

Take it don't break it just turn it around

These dreams won't let you down

These Dreams – Robbie Williams – I've Been Expecting You

__

* * *

A/N I don't actually have anything to say in this A/N, except, What did you think? Tell me please!

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	4. Chapter Four - Tears on My Pillow

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 4 – TEARS ON MY PILLOW

I know for sure his heart is here with me

Though I wish him back I know he cannot see

My hands trembling

I know he hears me sing

I light this candle and watch it throw

Tears on my pillow

And if there is a Christ he'll come tonight

And pray for Spanish eyes

Pray for Spanish Eyes – Madonna – Like a Prayer

* * *

Lily couldn't be sure whether her assumption that Kally was pregnant was correct, but it would explain the way she had been acting lately; mood swings, sudden outbursts of emotion and strange food combinations.

After giving it some thought, Jenine and James agreed that this could indeed be the reason for Kally's strange behavior, and the dream sequences seemed to confirm this.

Lily and Jenine didn't know what to do. They had made James swear not to tell anyone about this and he agreed, but this was only one step.

Should they confront Kally and tell her that they knew? Or should they let her tell them in her own time?

Jenine said that they should go and tell Dumbledore, but Lily poo-pooed this idea straight away, saying that Kally would kill them if they did.

The two girls stayed up until five a.m., discussing the problem, and by that time they still hadn't decided what to do. They were about to go to bed when a sudden thought crossed Lily's mind.

"Who's the father?"

"Good question," Jenine replied, "It could be Remus, you know, because she was asking you what you thought of him. Remember?"

"Remus? Never. He's much to sensible to go and get a girl pregnant," Lily replied.

"But it all points to him. Now I come to think about it, the man in the dream sequence that I saw did look like Remus," Jenine explained.

"I dunno. It could be. But I'm tired now; I think we should go to bed."

* * *

Lily awoke the next morning with none of the previous night's happenings in her head. After about five minutes of wandering around still half asleep, she remembered the dream spell. Her eyes opened wide when she remembered their assumption that Kally was pregnant.

After seeing that Kally was still asleep, she roughly shook Jenine awake.

"Jennie, wake up!" she whispered loudly. Jennie was the name she called her when she wanted to annoy Jenine.

After a few minutes, Jenine woke up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Kally, remember?" Lily said.

Jenine sat bolt up right.

"Oh, yeah. What do we do?"

"I don't know," Lily replied. "I'll go talk to James at breakfast. Maybe he'll know what to do...?"

"Perhaps. Lily, are you sure that Kally is pregnant? You could be mistaken." After a night's sleep, it seemed quite impossible that her sixteen-year-old friend was having a baby.

"Positive. James seemed to think so as well."

"Well, we'll work out what to do later. I'm going to shower now," Jenine said, jumping out of bed.

"Okay. I'm going down to breakfast when I'm dressed. I'll see you there."

  
Lily changed quickly, wanting to get to breakfast and speak to James before he rushed off to Quidditch practice. Once she was dressed, she ran a brush through her red hair a few times and hurried out of the room. Jenine was still in the shower at this point; you could hear her singing loudly.

As soon as Lily had left the room, a girl in the bed next to Lily's lifted her head, her long black hair hanging down her back. She stared at the retreating back of her friend.

__

They knew. How could they know?

I've not said anything. How **could** they know?

Even James knows.

What am I going to do?

I can't stay now. Today three people know, tomorrow the whole school will.

I have to go. I have to leave. Tonight.

Her mind made up, Kally lay down again, a solitary tear sliding down her face and landing on her pillow.

__

And if I have nothing left to show but

Tears on my pillow

What kind of life is this if God exists

Then help me pray for Spanish eyes

I light this candle and watch it throw

Tears on my pillow

And if there is a Christ he'll come tonight

And pray for Spanish eyes

Pray For Spanish Eyes – Madonna – Like A Prayer

* * *

A/N Sorry this part was so short, I think it had to be ended here. The next part will be posted soon.

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	5. Chapter Five - Run For Cover

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 5 – RUN FOR COVER

__

When you, get me down   
_Then I, get turned around   
I tend to, cut myself off   
From things, I shouldn't run from   
  
It doesn't really matter   
Sometimes we run for cover   
I'm always on the outside_

Run for Cover – Sugababes – One Touch

* * *

Lily had missed James at breakfast. According to Remus and Peter, he and Sirius were out on the Quidditch pitch. Lily thanked them and then hurried out the door and across the grounds to the field.

"Hi James!" Lily called to the speck high in the air, that she knew was him.

He spotted Lily waving at him and swooped down to the ground.

"Hey Lil. What are you doing here? I didn't think you liked Quidditch."

"Actually I came to talk to you." At this moment Sirius swooped down, as well.

"Hi Lily. Come to have a go on a broom?"

"No. I came to talk to James," she replied.

"What about?" Sirius taunted.

"None of your business," Lily retorted haughtily. "Come on James."

He shouldered his broom, shrugged at Sirius and followed Lily.

"So what do you want?" James asked, once they were out of earshot and were seated on the grass.

"Me and Jenine wanted to know what you think we should do about Kally. We're really worried."

"I don't know. Have you tried talking to her?"

"No. I'd like to, but I don't know how, if you know what I mean."

James nodded. " Yeah. You can't exactly go up to her and say 'Hey Kally, someone knocked you up, who was it?'"

"Exactly." She sighed heavily. "Oh, I don't know. It's all too complicated."

"Who do you think the father is?" James asked quietly.

"Jenine thinks it's Remus," Lily whispered.

"Remus! Why does she think that?" James exclaimed.

"Well before all this weirdness started, Kally was asking me what I thought of him. And Jenine also said that in the dream sequence she saw, the man who came out of the river looked a great deal like him. I mean, we could be wrong, but it does seem most likely."

James nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I suppose."

Lily sighed again. "I think I will talk to her. I'll go now."

She stood up and brushed off her robes. She smiled at James, then walked off up towards the castle.

As she neared the castle, Lily saw the copper-colored hair of Jenine running towards her. Jenine stopped right in front of her, panting.

"Lily, Kally's gone."

* * *

"She's not in the dungeons, by the lake or by the Quidditch pitch. Sirius and Remus are doing an aerial survey of the grounds on their brooms," Jenine reported after two hours of unsuccessful searching. They couldn't find Kally anywhere.

"Where the hell is she?" Lily said, frustratedly.

"I don't know." Jenine replied forlornly.

At that moment, Peter and James came into the common room holding a scrappy piece of parchment in their hands.

"Well. She's definitely not in the school grounds," Peter said.

"How do you know?" Lily asked. "It's not like you're any good at Divination!"

"In our fifth year, James, Remus, Sirius and me made this map. It's a map of the school and it shows everyone in it. We've been searching the it for Kally for over half an hour and she's definitely not here," Peter explained.

"Great. She isn't in the school. So where is she?" Lily said, sitting down.

"I'd say she ran away because of you-know-what," James suggested.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, probably."

"So what do we do?" Jenine asked.

"There's only one thing we can do. Go to Dumbledore."

"About what? What aren't you telling me? There's something going on, isn't there? Tell me! TELL ME!" Peter shouted to the retreating backs of Lily, Jenine and James as they made their way to Dumbledore's office.

Stabbed me in the back   
Once did a thing like that   
Sticking to your ploy   
Is this something you enjoy?   
Publicity and insecurity   
Just wanna be me   
It's my need to be free   
  
It doesn't really matter   
Sometimes we run for cover   
I'm always on the outside   
You never seem to wonder   
How much you make me suffer   
I speak it from the inside 

Run for Cover – Sugababes – One Touch

* * *

A/N – Sorry this is so short again. Are Jenine, James and Lily doing the right thing by going to Dumbledore? Is Remus the father? Find out in the next chapter. Also, in the next chapter, there should be a little more on the Lily/James front. Hopefully, because it's the Spring Hop in the next one (at least I think so).

Beta-Read by: sexyfleurbaby

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	6. Chapter Six - Where Are You?

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 6 – WHERE ARE YOU?

__

Calling out your name,

Your face is everywhere,

I'm reaching out to you,

To find that your not there,

I wake up every night, to see the state I'm in, 

It's like an endless fight I never seem to win.  
I can't go on as long as i believe, 

Can't let go when i keep wondering

Where Are You Now? – Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did It Again!

* * *

Lily and Jenine had been so absorbed with trying to find the whereabouts of Kally that they had completely forgotten about the Spring Hop. It was in two days' time, and they were only reminded of it when Frank Longbottom asked Lily if she was looking forward to going.

"So, Lily, looking forward to the Hop?"

"Hop?" Lily looked puzzled.

"The Spring Hop. We're going together, remember?" Frank said.

"Oh my gosh! I completely forgot about that. Look, Frank, I don't know whether I'll be able to go anymore."

His face fell.

"Oh. If that's how you feel," he said.

Lily didn't like people being sad on her account. She decided to grin and bear the situation, even with Kally missing. In a sudden change of attitude, she said,

"Actually, I think I will go. Pick me up at seven?" She smiled at Frank.

He nodded dumbly then walked off.

* * *

By the day of The Spring Hop, they still didn't know where Kally was. When they had asked for Dumbledore's advice, he told them to "let things run their course" and that he would get some people to search for her. He also told them not to worry, for "she would be all right." But Dumbledore was not a Seer.

* * *

Lily had bought some plain white dress robes for the Hop. She wanted to dress simply; after all, she was only going with Frank.

She didn't put any makeup on, and left her hair hanging loose over her shoulders. On her feet she wore a pair of simple white sandals.

Jenine, on the other hand, took the Hop as an opportunity to go wild. She had bought some black robes with flames that danced enticingly around her waist. Her blonde hair was piled upon her head in an extravagant 'do, with a few golden curls falling around her heart shaped face. Her pale blue eyes were emphasized with heavy eyeliner and purple eyeshadow, and she had painted her lips a brilliant shade of pink topped with lots of shiny gloss. Her feet were clothed in a pair of silver shoes. The outfit may sound a bit strange, but it did actually look good. It was obvious to Lily that Jenine wanted to make an impression on Sirius.

The Hop got off to a good start. Dumbledore had hired a live band called the Crashing Pumpkins, and the House Elves in the kitchen had prepared a magnificent buffet.

Lily met up with Frank Longbottom outside the Great Hall. He wore a great big grin on his face, obviously pleased that he was going to the first dance for over a century with a pretty girl.

Once inside the Hall, Lily dragged Frank over to the table where Jenine and Sirius sat. To her surprise, she could see neither James, Remus nor Peter.

"Where are the others?" she inquired. Sirius answered with,

"Peter and James will be along later. Remus isn't coming."

"But isn't attendance mandatory?" Frank asked.

"He's sick," Sirius said shortly, as though he didn't wish to dwell upon the subject.

"Sirius, _please _can we dance?" Jenine moaned.

"In a moment. When James and Peter get here," he replied.

"Why do we need to wait until James is here? It's not as if you want to dance with them!" Jenine said in a whiny voice.

"No, but I need to ask them something."

"Can't we dance until they get here? Lily'll come over and tell us when they arrive, won't you Lils?"

Lily nodded, and Sirius relented.

"All right then." He stood up and offered Jenine his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked in a would-be debonair voice, had it not come from Sirius.

Jenine giggled and accepted his offer. The two of them went off to the large area of floor cleared for dancing.

"Do you want to dance?" Frank asked Lily; he had the impression that she was rather bored.

"I don't really feel like dancing," she replied. She thought for a minute, then spoke again.

"You can go and find someone else to dance with if you want to. I'm not going to be much fun tonight; I'm too worried about Kally."

Frank looked mildly surprised.

"Are you sure? Who can I go and ask to dance though?"

"How about Cynthia Samson? I've seen her looking your way a few times," Lily said.

"Really? I'll go and ask her then." He stood up, gave Lily a little wave and then walked over to where Cynthia stood.

This meant that Lily was left alone, which was fine by her; as she had said to Frank, she wasn't really in the mood to have fun.

After a while of sitting on her own, Lily began to get a little bored. Jenine and Sirius were still dancing away, and James hadn't arrived yet. Lily wondered where he was.

Just as she had this thought, he and Peter walked in through the door. Sirius noticed them at the same time as Lily did, and made to leave go of Jenine's hands but James made an OK sign with his fingers and made a gesture for Sirius to carry on dancing.

James and Peter came over to the table where Lily was sitting, seemingly quite surprised that she was on her own.

"Where's your date?" Peter asked.

"Over there with Cynthia. I didn't feel like dancing." Lily replied.

"Sill worried about Kally?" James asked, and Lily nodded.

"I'm just going to get a bit of air," she said, her eyes misty, then left the table, making her way to the large double doors at the top of the hall.

James stared after her, "Well that's polite." He said, to no-one in particular.

"Go after her James," said Peter smiling, "it's obvious you like her, and she'll never know if you don't tell her."

James, looked indignant, and was about to retort when he realised Peter was right. He stood up, and walked over to the doors.

When he got outside, he saw Lily's red hair shining beneath lighted candle. As he neared, he saw her troubled face.

"Penny for them?" he said.

"What?"

"Penny for your thoughts."

"Oh. It's nothing." Lily concentrated on something for a while, then seemed to snap out of her daydream.

"So, where's your date?" she asked James.

"Don't have one." 

Lily looked amused. "What, no simpering blonde?"

James shook his head. "Nope. I didn't ask anyone – well, except you, but you were going with Frank."

"So why did you ask me?" Lily asked innocently.

James looked at her sideways, from under his hair. "Because I like you."

"Oh." Lily said.

There was a silence.

"Do you like me?"

Lily thought for a minute, then leaned up and kissed James on the lips. When the kiss ended, she backed away and smiled.

"Er, yes, I think so."

James smiled at Lily, and she smiled back. He leaned in to kiss her again, but they were interrupted by a first year rushing up to them, looking terrified. As she came nearer, they could see that she had tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

The girl didn't answer, just pointed into the bushes from which she had run.

"Stay here, I'll go and see what's wrong," James said.

He ran off into the bushes, and returned about five minutes later, looking pale.

"What's the matter? What's in there?"

"Um, nothing...but I think we should go and get Dumbledore." His face was paler than ever, and sweat trickled down his brow.

"Why? What's wrong? Lily tried to go into the bushes to see what was there, but James grabbed her wrist. She pulled away from him and ran into the green foliage.

She pushed her way through the leaves and stopped suddenly when she saw what was lying on the ground before her. The image that was there would be imprinted upon her memory forever.

"No...no...no...no...no...no..." she whispered. "Not her, please no..." She felt James walk up behind her.

Lying on the floor in front of her was Kally, her body lifeless.

__

I can hear your voice, 

The ring of yesterday, 

It seems so close to me,

But yet so far away,

I should let it out, to save what's left of me 

And close the doors of doubt

Revive my dignity

But I can't go on as long as I believe

Can't let go when I keep wondering

Where Are You Now? – Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did it Again

* * *

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	7. Chapter Seven - No Regrets

PART ONE – BEGINNINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER 7 – NO REGRETS

__

Tell me a story  
Where we all change  
And we'd live our lives together  
And not estranged  
  
I didn't lose my mind it was  
Mine to give away  
Couldn't stay to watch me cry  
You didn't have the time  
So I softly slip away...

No Regrets – Robbie Williams – I've Been Expecting You

* * *

Lily had to turn away before she fainted. Kally's body lay on the ground, hideously disfigured. Her legs were bloody and burned, and looked as thought they had been eaten away by something. Her black robes were ripped and her arms were completely blackened. Again, her arms looked as though they had been eaten away. Only her face was untouched.

Lily hadn't noticed, but James had slipped away and had fetched Dumbledore. The two now came into sight, Dumbledore looking extremely worried and James looking still incredibly pale.

Dumbledore kneeled over Kally's inert body, his fingers swiftly checking for a pulse.

He turned and shook his head. Lily knew there wouldn't be a pulse; she could tell.

* * *

It was ten o'clock. In the Gryffindor common room, there was no hubbub of chatter, students anxiously rushing to finish homework, or people laughing and joking. There was only silence.

  
Somber faces from eleven to seventeen years old filled the room. These people had not only lost a member of their house, but a friend.

It had been two hours since Kally's body had been discovered. Once Dumbledore was over the shock, he had ordered for her to be taken to the hospital wing and examined to find the cause of death. Emergency owls had been sent to specialists at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies. So far, they had no leads on what had happened.

* * *

For the next few days Lily and Jenine were fairly quiet and unresponsive. This was to be expected, as Kally had been their best friend.

Five days after her death, Dumbledore announced that there was to be a funeral held at a Muggle church in Nottingham, where Kally's parents lived. He also said that any friends of Kally's who wanted to show commiserations were welcome to attend.

Kally's parents had requested that no one wear black to the funeral. This seemed a strange thing to request; black was a somber color, meant for mourning.

All the people in the Gryffindor Sixth Year attended the funeral, as these had been the people closest to Kally... the people in her class.

The funeral lasted for quite some time, ending with the coffin being lowered into the ground. Lily threw into the grave a single bluebell, Kally's favorite flower, before the sexton began filling in the grave.

The Hogwarts students returned to school at eight o'clock that evening, ready for a sleep, only for Lily, Jenine, Remus, Sirius, Peter and James to be called to Dumbledore's office.

The six Gryffindor sixth years sat down in the round office, wondering why Dumbledore wanted to speak to them.

"I called you all here to tell you that St Mungo's has found out the cause of Kally's death. She was killed by the _acidiomangi_ curse. You may have heard of this curse, as it is one of the worst possible methods of killing. A person who has had the _acidiomangi_ curse performed upon them has their insides eaten away by an acidic like substance." Dumbledore paused to let his words sink in, then continued.

"Now, I don't know if you know this, but Kally was pregnant. Somebody put the _acidiomangi_ curse on Kally to get rid of the unborn child. Not only did it do this, but it also began to dissipate Kally's body. A presumption made was that Kally tried to get rid of her baby herself, and so inflicted the _acidiomangi_ curse upon herself. This, of course, is only a presumption."

There were a few minutes of silence, the teenagers obviously trying to absorb this information.

"I would like you to return to your dormitories now. You will return to lessons on Monday."

* * *

Lily didn't get to sleep that night until very late, and even then she kept waking up. She couldn't seem to rid her mind of the horrible image she had seen one week prior.

Eventually at four o' clock, she got up and took her blanket down to the common room. She figured that if she couldn't get to sleep in the dorm, she might be able to in the common room.

When she arrived in the common room, she was surprised to see someone already there.

"James?" she asked.

He turned around quickly, his face looking worried, but he relaxed when he saw it was only Lily.

"Can't get to sleep?" he asked.

Lily shook her head. "The image of her body lying on the ground keeps coming back to me."

"Same here," James said.

"I guess it's affecting us more because we found her body, hmm?" Lily asked, coming and seating herself next to James on the sofa.

"Yeah, I suppose."

Both of them were quiet for a bit, then James brought up something that he had obviously been pondering over for a while now.

"On the night of the ball, before we found Kally, you said you liked me. Do you really?"

Lily clearly hadn't been expecting this, but nodded in response.

"Yeah, I really do," she replied, and looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

When they broke apart, Lily smiled at James.

"I've changed my mind," she said, "I don't like you."

James looked shocked. "You don't?"

"Nope. I don't like you. I love you."

"Well guess what? I love you too."

And they kissed again, this time though, it seemed to last for eternity.

__

Tell me a story  
Where we all change  
And we'd live our lives together  
And not estranged  
  
I didn't lose my mind it was  
Mine to give away  
Couldn't stay to watch me cry  
You didn't have the time  
So I softly slip away...

No Regrets – Robbie Williams – I've Been Expecting You

* * *

And so ends Part One of my Lily and James saga. This is not the end!! Far from it! This is only the beginning. As I said before, there will be two more parts, each with approximately the same number of chapters as this. Hopefully I'll get Chapter One of Part Two posted soon.


	8. PART TWO - Chapter One - The Disasterous...

A/N In the reviews for Part One, some people asked whether or not Remus was the father or not. Well I decided to leave that to your imagination, and perhaps if you persist in your questioning, something may be mentioned about it in Part Two. You never know..  
  
Welcome to Part Two of my story! Okay this is set in the latter half of 1978, a year after they've got out of Hogwarts. Lily and James have been dating for two years and Sirius and Jenine are too "shy" to ask each other out. Remus remains unattached (for now anyway).  
  
PART TWO - MIDDLINGS  
  
Eternity  
  
CHAPTER ONE - THE DISASTROUS DINNER  
  
I turned around too late to see the fallen star  
  
I fell asleep and never saw the sun go down  
  
I took your love for granted  
  
Thought luck was always on my side  
  
I turned around too late and you were gone  
  
So give me one more chance  
  
Darlin' if you care for me  
  
1 Let me win your love  
  
Madonna - One More Chance - Something to Remember  
  
* * *  
  
Lily Evans had been an orphan for a year now. Since her Father had died of Cancer when she was twelve, she had lived with her Mother and Petunia up until she was sixteen when her Mother, prematurely aged due to her Fathers death, also died. Since then she had lived with her Aunt Clara and Uncle Richard and their children Sandi, Joshua and Sara.  
  
At this moment in time, Lily was helping her Aunt Clara prepare the food for the big dinner party of which Uncle Richard was to be the host.  
  
Her Uncle was a very successful businessman, working in the trade of electronics and computers which at the moment were making a very crucial breakthrough. He had invited the head of the biggest computer games corporation and his wife to the dinner party, along with the chairperson of another of the large companies. He was hoping to secure a deal by the end of the evening.  
  
Also invited to the meal were Lily and her sister Petunia and the guest of their choice. Petunia was inviting her fiancee, Vernon Dursley whereas Lily had managed to talk her Aunt and Uncle into allowing her to bring four guests. These four guests were Jenine her best friend, James her boyfriend and Remus and Sirius, two other very good friends. Of this, Petunia was not very happy. One Witch she could handle, but five?  
  
"Lily, can you watch the soup while I go change? The Sandersons and Larousses will be here soon." Aunt Clara asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah okay." Lily replied. She had wanted to go and get ready then, 'but' she reasoned, 'I can use magic and she can't.'  
  
After a few minutes her Aunt re-appeared, this time wearing a dark blue evening gown, her hair done neatly at the back of her head.  
  
"Leave the soup dear, and go and make yourself look glamorous," Clara said as she hurried over to check on the chicken that was cooking in the oven.  
  
Lily gladly dropped the spoon and hurried upstairs. With a wave of her wand, gone were the jeans and T-shirt and appeared a lovely red dress. Next she held her wand above her head and her long red hair fixed itself into a stylish 'do.  
  
Once she was dressed, she was aware of a pair of brown eyes watching her furtively from the doorway.  
  
"Hi Sara," she said, "are you ready for dinner?"  
  
The little girl nodded, and reached up to touch Lily's hair.  
  
"Can you do that to me too?" she asked eyes wide with amazement and curiosity.  
  
"Sure," Lily replied and waved her wand above Sara's head. The little girl's blonde curls fashioned themselves in a way similar to Lily's.  
  
"Do I look beautiful now?" the four year old asked.  
  
"You look lovely. Come on let's go. I think I just heard the doorbell ring." She took Sara's hand and together they walked down the stairs. When they arrived at the bottom they saw that indeed, some guests had arrived.  
  
After about five minutes more of the guests had arrived, including Lily's friends. James greeted her with a long breathtaking kiss, and Lily smiled to see Mr and Mrs Sanderson looking disapproving. Obviously James had noticed too, and mentioned it to Lily.  
  
"It's your hair," she said as she led him and the other guests into the dining room.  
  
"What's wrong with my hair?" James said indignantly.  
  
"Nothing, it just looks like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards that's all," Sirius said joining in on the conversation.  
  
"Thanks Sirius. That's just what a best friend is supposed to say." James said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Yeah, I thought so too." Sirius said, and he, Remus and Jenine burst out laughing.  
  
The Larousse's tutted their disapproval and once again Lily smiled. It was good to be back with her friends. After all, she hadn't seen them for three weeks.  
  
The dinner began and there was relative silence whilst everybody ate. Sirius was the first to finish and began to tell a joke to Jenine who was sitting opposite. At the same time Mrs Sanderson was making polite talk with Petunia.  
  
Everything was running smoothly and when the dinner was over, Aunt Clara led the guests into the living room for coffee and biscuits.  
  
After the coffee and biscuits had been consumed, Lily's uncle took Mr Sanderson and Mr Larousse into the dining room to talk about business leaving the others to make small talk whilst awaiting their return.  
  
"So," began Mrs Sanderson in a posh upper class voice, "Petunia tells me you are interested in drills, my dear?" she addressed the question to Petunia's fiancee, Vernon.  
  
"Yes, I am. Once I have saved enough money, Petunia and I are planning to be married." He gazed adoringly at Petunia, and she at him.  
  
Sirius made gagging noises behind them which made Lily and Jenine laugh.  
  
"And what about you dear? Have you a job?" Mrs Larousse asked James.  
  
James jumped, he hadn't expected to be talked to.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Me and Sirius have just got jobs today. We're going to be 'Product Analysis Technicians' for a sweet shop."  
  
"Sweet Testers." Jenine said bluntly.  
  
"Product Analysis Technicians!" James insisted.  
  
"Yeah, whatever!" Lily said.  
  
"For what company are you to be, ah, Sweet Testers?" Mrs Sanderson asked.  
  
"The best sweet shop around, Honey-"  
  
"Cadbury's," Lily interrupted, "they're going to be working for Cadbury's."  
  
"I see. How very interesting. Now, I know Petunia's planning to get married, but what about you dear, do you have a boyfriend?" Mrs Larousse said.  
  
"Yeah, James is my boyfriend." Lily said, obviously amazed at how short a memory Mrs Larousse had.  
  
"Oh how lovely!" Mrs Sanderson exclaimed, "and do you have any plans to get wed?"  
  
James and Lily looked at each other. They hadn't talked about it, but Lily did want to get married.  
  
James said "no" at the same time that Lily said "yes"  
  
"Uh-oh," muttered Jenine under her breath.  
  
Once more they looked at each other and Lily, confused, excused herself and James and then grabbed his hand and dragged him into the hall.  
  
"Why did you say no?" she whispered angrily, aware that it had suddenly gone very quiet in the living room.  
  
"Because I don't want to get married! Not yet anyway, I'm only nineteen!"  
  
"I know we haven't talked about it but I thought that was what you wanted!" Lily said in a dangerously quiet voice.  
  
"Where'd you get that idea?" James said.  
  
"I thought you loved me." she said, turning away from him.  
  
"I do! I'm just not ready for commitment!" James protested, putting his arm around her. Not surprisingly she pushed it away.  
  
"If that's the way you feel then I think you should leave." she paused, "and I don't think we should see each other any more. Goodbye James."  
  
Lily opened the front door and then ran up the stairs to her bedroom.  
  
Here is the law of the land  
  
You play with fire and you'll get burned  
  
Here is the lesson I've learned  
  
That you don't know what you've got til it's gone  
  
So give me one more chance  
  
Darlin' if you care for me  
  
Let me win your love  
  
'Cause you were always there for me  
  
Give me one more chance  
  
Madonna - One More Chance - Something to Remember  
  
* * *  
  
A/N Sorry about that wedding argument thingy, I just needed a way to break them up (temporarily! Don't worry!), and I couldn't think of anything else! Sorry! I know it's really bad but, oh well! Please review! 


	9. Chapter Two - Charity

PART TWO - MIDDLINGS  
  
Eternity  
  
CHAPTER TWO - CHARITY  
  
All I know is how I feel   
And my heart is always yours to steal   
But you take and never give to me   
Your kisses are charity   
Your kisses are charity  
Culture Club - Your Kisses Are Charity - Album Unknown  
  
"Lily darling, come down and have some breakfast!" Aunt Clara called from behind Lily's bedroom door.  
  
"I'm not hungry!" Was Lily's terse reply.  
  
It was the morning after the dinner party and Lily hadn't emerged from her bedroom since she had rushed up there after telling James to leave.  
  
"Please Lily dear, you have to eat sometime," Aunt Clara tried again.  
  
"I'll come down when I want to. Please go away." Lily called through the door. Knowing that she wasn't going to be successful, Clara sighed and gave up.  
  
"Mommy?" sari asked, "did the bad man make Lily cry?"  
  
"No honey, he's not a bad man. Lily and James just had an argument, that's all."  
  
"An agumant?" Sari said.  
  
"Yes honey. Go and play with Josh." Clara patted Sari on her head and she ran off to play with her nine year old brother.  
  
Aunt Clara sighed once more, and sat down to make a cup of tea.  
  
***  
"James you've gotta go and apologise!"  
  
"I'm not apologising Sirius, it was her who broke up with me!" James replied.  
  
Sirius tried again.  
  
"I know that, but don't you think you provoked her?" James ignored him.  
  
"Sirius will you get out of my house now please?" James asked politely, too politely in Sirius' opinion.  
  
"Sorry bud, no can do. This is my house too." Sirius put his feet up on the work surface. James made an angry noise then stormed off to his room.  
  
"What's got into him?" Sirius wondered. Remus just tutted.  
  
***  
A week later, Lily was out shopping in Hogsmeade. She was planning to meet up with Jenine later for a gossip and a hot chocolate, but for now, she was quite content at looking at all the expensive jewellery she would never be able to afford.  
  
She had just left the shop when a girl a couple of years older than her ran into her, causing her to drop all of her shopping bags, their contents being scattered across the brick paving.  
  
The girl actually fell over onto the cold stone, knocking all the breath out of her. After about five seconds she jumped up and rubbed her bottom. She was speaking to Lily now.  
  
"Gosh, I'm so sorry! I'm such a Klutz, I'm always doing that! Here let me help you," and she bent down to help Lily pick up the scattered contents of her paper bags.  
  
"I'm Charity Black by the way. Who are you?"  
  
"Lily Evans."  
  
"That's a pretty name. I hate my name, but then I have sisters called Tinkerbell and Ermentrude and brothers called Archibald and Theobald, so I should think myself lucky!" Charity continued to babble on about her sisters, Lily looking on amusedly. As soon as Charity paused for breath, Lily was able to get a word in.  
  
"Why were you in such a hurry anyway?"  
  
"Oh! I've just come back from Canada and I'm on my way to see my cousin Sirius we haven't spoken in absolutely yonks and I'm seriously excited about seeing him I mean I've heard and I don't know if it's true but I think that his mum said he was living somewhere in Hogsmeade so I'm here to check it out." Charity said all of this in one breath, which truly amazed Lily.  
  
"Did you say your cousin was called Sirius? As in the Dog Star?" Lily enquired.  
  
"Yes. He wasn't too fortunate in the names department either." Charity said.  
  
"No, I don't mean that. Is he sort of tall with longish black hair and really pale blue eyes? And has he just graduated from Hogwarts?" Lily asked.  
  
"Yes. Why? Do you know him?"  
  
"Who doesn't know Sirius Black? He's one of my best friends. I'll show you where he lives if you like." Lily offered.  
  
"You will! Wicked!" Charity picked up one of Lily's shopping bags and Lily began to lead her to the house that Sirius, Remus and James shared, "Magrathea".  
  
Now they were on their way, Lily was able to get a good look at Charity's appearance.  
  
She was quite short and a little chubby. Her hair was a vibrant shade of red (quite obviously dyed) and very frizzy in tight corkscrew curls. She wore a short black skirt with yellow tights and chunky black boots. Her top was also black with the words "Anti-Muggle" scrawled across the front.   
  
If Lily had not known, she would never have guessed that Charity was related in anyway to Sirius.  
  
Once they arrived at Magrathea, Lily stopped at the gate and announced that this was as far as she would go.  
  
"Why?" asked Charity.  
  
"Oh, um, James, Sirius's friend is my ex. He lives here. We haven't spoken in over a week. I don't particularly want to see him now."  
  
Charity nodded knowingly. "I see. How about if I go in and check out the lay of the land and if the coast is clear you come in?"  
  
Lily didn't have a clue what Charity was going on about, but nodded, figuring that she'd probably soon know what was going on anyway.  
  
Charity strode confidently up to the front door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, heavy footsteps and swearing could be heard. Then Sirius's voice came through the door.  
  
"Who is it?" he sounded very irritated.  
  
"Open the door and find out." Charity called back.  
  
Sirius swore once more and then pulled open the door, only to be engulfed by Charity.  
  
"Char, is that you?" came his muffled voice from inside the folds of Charity's arms.  
  
"Of course it's me Silly Billy. Who else would it be?" she released Sirius then and he stood back to get a good look at her.  
  
"My God it's good to see you! How long has it been? Four years?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Four years, nineteen days, twelve hours and twenty minutes." Was Charity's reply.  
  
Sirius stared at her and then noticed Lily waiting by the gate. Charity saw the way of his gaze.  
  
"I er, bumped into Lily, literally, and she told me where you lived, but she doesn't want to come in." Charity gave Sirius a big and over exaggerated wink, and Sirius caught on immediately. He called down the drive.  
  
"It's alright Lily, James isn't here." Lily frowned then walked up the drive.  
  
"Where is he?" she asked, more out of curiosity than anything.  
  
"Out with Moony and Wormtail." This time it was Sirius who gave a big and over exaggerated wink.  
  
"Oh. What time will they be back?"  
  
"Any time now I should think." Sirius replied, "I didn't go with them because I had a bit of a Hangover. Heavy night in The Three Broomsticks."  
  
"I think I should make myself scarce then. "I'll see you later," she added to Charity, then disapparated.  
  
Charity and Sirius stared at the spot where Lily had been standing and then simultaneously began talking.  
  
Lily had enjoyed meeting Charity. Little did she know that she would soon be meeting her again, this time under very different circumstances.  
  
All I know is how I feel   
And my heart is always yours to steal   
But you take and never give to me   
Your kisses are charity   
Your kisses are charity  
Culture Club - Your Kisses Are Charity - Album Unknown  
  
***  
  
A/N Charity wasn't meant to turn out like that. If you can't get a good mental image of what she looks like, think Fizz from Coronation Street. What significance does she have to the story? When will Lily and James get back together? Will Sirius recover from his hangover? Find out next time! 


	10. Chapter Three - Mrs Severus Snape

PART TWO – MIDDLINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER THREE – MRS SEVERUS SNAPE

__

With a face like a crab's bus ticket

And skin like a llama's door mat

He was always going to struggle

Nature had seen to that

I May Be Ugly – Beautiful South – Quench

***

Five weeks after the disastrous dinner party, Lily still hadn't made up with James. Jenine and her Aunt were getting fed up with her.

It was a Saturday morning and Uncle Richard had just announced that he was going to be attending a dinner party tonight and he wanted the whole family to go with him.

Lily didn't particularly want to go, especially when she heard the name of the host. Selwyn Snape.

In the car on the way to the Snape's house, Lily had to listen to Uncle Richard telling everyone how nice the Snape family were.

"He's a Wizard you know, and his wife is named Sylvia and he has the most wonderful son named Severus, who is the same age as Lily. In fact, Severus was at Hogwarts at the same time as Lily."

Her Aunt seemed to think that this was amazing.

"Really? It's a small world isn't it? Was Severus your friend Lily?" 

"Snape? My friend? Yeah right." And Lily went back to staring out of the window.

"Apparently, his son, Severus," Uncle Richard continued, "was the victim of an onset of bullying at Hogwarts. Selwyn said that people there were quite mean to him."

"Poor boy! I wonder why?" Simpered Aunt Clara, "Do you know why Lily dear?"

"It could be because he never washes his hair, and he's quite smelly." Lily replied.

Aunt Clara narrowed her eyes and Lily knew she was going to lose her temper. Luckily, the car pulled up in front of a dark gloomy house and Lily hurried out of the car before Aunt Clara could say anything.

The evening dragged on and the food was terrible. The Snape household looked like something out of a horror movie, even Aunt Clara said so. There were bottles and jars filled with strange liquids everywhere, and there were more than ten jars with dead animals floating in them.

Severus was unbearable. He kept on pretending that he and Lily were the best of friends and he tried to make it look like they were going out. Lily hated it and was quite glad when she was able to escape outside with her older cousin Sandi whilst the adults talked about business.

"Man am I glad to get out of there!" Sandi exclaimed.

"Yeah, me too." Lily agreed.

"I mean, what's with all them dead animals everywhere? And all the jars of funny coloured liquids?"

"Snape was top of potions when we were at school, so I guess his family is quite into that sort of stuff." Lily explained.

"Creepy. When I walked into the house I felt all weird. Like there were eyes everywhere watching over me. And I know this sounds strange, but I kept hearing all these whispering noises." Sandi said, shuddering.

"I thought that too. It could be because Snape's family are all Death Eaters."

"They're all whats?"

"Supporters of Voldemort." Lily replied.

Sandi looked at her blankly, as if she was talking a foreign language. Lily sighed.

"Voldemort is an evil Wizard, who is set on killing. He's already murdered over a thousand witches and wizards and Muggles all over the world and will continue to murder innocent people until somebody stops him. The Death Eaters are like his servants. They do a lot of the killing for him."

Sandi looked disgusted.

"Why would anyone want to do that?"

"He's evil. He wants to rid the Wizarding world of all Muggle-born. At any cost."

"So we have just been eating at the house of people who are under orders to kill you?"

"Sort of." Lily said, "except they won't want to kill me."

"What makes you so sure?" Sandi asked.

"Well what would be the point? What would it achieve?" all the same, she was starting to look a bit uncomfortable.

"Actually, Sandi, could you pretend to be ill? I don't feel like staying any longer."

"Yeah okay then. Um, I'll have a migraine. Go and tell Mum."

Lily hurried off to the Snape's house with Sandi in tow. Severus's pet Snake, Ada crawled out from beneath the bench the two girls had been sitting on. He had heard every word of their conversation.

As Ada crawled back into his master's house, an evil plan began to form in his brain. He would show that girl for talking badly of his master. The snake smiled evilly. He would show her.

***

__

"Yes. I like it Snape. Well done."

"Thankyou Master. The plan shall be put into action immediately. Her Uncle will not refuse."

"Yes well. If he does refuse, not only will you be killed, but the girl will also die. Now go. She is a powerful little Witch and will be very useful to us. You say she used to go out with the Potter boy? Excellent. This just seems to be getting better and better."

"Yes Master. Er, will there be a reward if the plan goes ahead?"

"If the plan goes ahead without problems then you shall be made my second in command. Everyone will look up to you."

"Even Lloyd Malfoy?"

"Lloyd Malfoy will look up to you. Even your own Father will be under your command."

"Thankyou master. And if the plan doesn't work…?"

"Then you shall die."

"Yes master. May I kiss your robes?"

"If you so desire."

"Thankyou Master."

***

Lily was discussing the previous nights events with Jenine when Aunt Clara knocked on her bedroom door.

"Lily, your Uncle and I need to talk to you. Will you come down to the sitting room please."

Lily exchanged a puzzled glance with Jenine and told Jenine to wait there for her. She then followed Aunt Clara down to the sitting room.

"Have a seat dear." Lily sat down, still feeling puzzled.

"Now, before we continue, I need to ask you something. Do you have a boyfriend?" 

Lily frowned at Uncle Richard.

"No. We broke up, remember?"

"Yes. Well, as you are unattached, it makes it easier to say."

Uncle Richard took a deep breath and then grabbed hold of Aunt Clara's hand.

"Lily, you are to be married next Month."

Her Aunt and Uncle sat back to watch her reaction. She just sat there staring open mouthed at them. They took this as a good sign and continued.

"We received a letter this morning from Selwyn Snape, expressing his son's desire to be wed to you."

Lily stared at them a moment longer and then whispered "You are joking, aren't you?"

"No dear. We want you to get married to Severus Snape."

__

With a chin like a tramps juke-box

And eyes like a rhino's ash-tray

It was always going to be a pantomime

That made him sing and dance anyway

I May Be Ugly – Beautiful South – Quench

***


	11. Chapter Four - Say A Little Prayer

PART TWO – MIDDLINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER FOUR – A LITTLE PRAYER

__

In the morning I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I'll say a little prayer for you

While brushing my hair now

And wondering which dress to wear now

I'll say a little prayer for you

I'll Say a Little Prayer – Diana King

***

"I will not marry Severus Slimeball Snape. Never ever in a million years."

"Yes you will young lady. It has already been arranged and I am not one to go back on my word." Uncle Richard said sternly.

"I am seventeen years old. I should be allowed to do what I want. And what I want is not to get married to Slimey."

"While you live under my roof, you obey my rules. Plus, as you so clearly stated, you are only seventeen and therefore still a minor. You have to do what I say until you are eighteen which isn't for almost a year." Uncle Richard smiled smugly and Aunt Clara looked worried.

"Lily dear, we don't want to upset you but we do think it would be good for you. Severus is a charming young man, and has some very good career ideas planned out for him." Aunt Clara tried to make peace.

"You mean like killing people?" Lily asked.

"What do you mean?"

"He's a Death Eater. They kill people. Go figure." And she stood up and stormed out of the room.

"That went well, don't you think?" Uncle Richard said to his wife. Aunt Clara just tutted.

***

"What did they want?" Jenine asked Lily when she came back into her room.

"You will not believe what they want me to do!" she was pacing up and down her room, with Jenine looking on bemusedly from her bed.

"What?"

"They want me to get married to the lowest, dirtiest, slimiest, smelliest, disgustingist-" Lily groped for insults.

"Who? Sirius?" Jenine said grinning. She didn't realise the seriousness of the situation.

Lily gave her a withering look.

"No, idiot. Someone much worse than that. They want me to get married to Snape."

Jenine stared at her in silence for what seemed like ages.

"You aren't are you?"

"They're forcing me. My uncle said that as long as I lived under his roof, I obeyed his rules."

"Well that's it then," Jenine said, "you move out."

"Good idea, but he also said that as I was still under eighteen, I was still a minor and I had to obey him."

"Well you can still move out. It would do good to get out of this house. How about if we find a flat and contribute towards the cost together. I've been wanting to get out of my house for a while now as well." Jenine said, a grin on her face.

"That's a great idea, but I still have to marry Snape." Lily said.

"Well, I'll say a prayer for you, but I don't think it would help." Jenine smiled sadly, then her smile became a grin.

"But I know what would help, stay here! I'll be back tomorrow." Jenine hurried off down the stairs with Lily calling after her, "you won't tell anyone will you?"

Jenine shouted back "Of course not," Lily bit her lip and didn't know whether to believe her.

***

"And then Mom said 'Charity, it's time you got yourself a man.' So I said 'Mom, I know who can get me a good man. Cousin Sirius!' and she agreed with me. So, do you have any good looking friends?" she gave Sirius a large wink and then a huge grin.

"I have many friends who are single. There's Remus and Peter and James of course, but he's going to get married to Lily soon so that's no good." He began to list all his other male friends, but Charity interrupted him.

"Hold up, Lily said she and James had broken up?"

"Well yeah, but they will get back together. I bet you. If they don't I'll kiss Severus Snape."

"What makes you so sure that they're gonna get back together? And who is this Snape guy anyway?"

"Oh, he's just the man that Lily is engaged to." Jenine said. Sirius and Charity jumped, they hadn't heard or seen Jenine come in.

"Hi Jenine!" Sirius said enthusiastically, jumping up grinning like a maniac. He seemed not to have heard Jenine's previous words. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"I just told you, but seeing as you apparently did not hear me, I'll tell you again. Lily is being forced to marry Severus Snape." 

Sirius didn't say anything for a moment, but the stupid grin that had previously occupied his features disappeared and his face fell, well, serious.

"You're having me on?" he asked.

"Nope. She just told me Her Aunt and Uncle are making her marry him. The wedding's all arranged for next month. I suppose you can imagine that Lily's pretty upset."

"Why is Lily upset?" a voice said from the doorway. The three people that were in the room looked up to see James standing there. Jenine exchanged a glance with Sirius and Charity, and then she turned back to James.

"Er, no reason," Jenine replied.

"Yeah right. Is something wrong? Is she ill or something?"

"Er, no? She just had to eat cabbage, and you know how much she hates that." Sirius replied in a totally unconvincing voice.

"You're not fooling me. Come on, tell me what's really wrong."

"Oh for goodness sakes! Just tell the poor lad, why don't you?" Charity said. She looked at Sirius and Jenine who said nothing, and looked at the floor. "Fine. I'll tell him then." Sirius and Jenine looked at her worriedly. 

"It's like this Jamie-boy. You see, Lily, your ex, is being forced, against her will may I add, to get married. Terrible thing this is, you see, because the person that she has to marry happens to be the smelliest, stupidest, ugliest person on Earth, or so Sirius tells me. Because, you see, Lily is being forced to get married to Severus Snape."

The students sitting in their lessons at Hogwarts looked up in astonishment, as a loud yelling sound could be heard coming from the direction of Hogsmeade. Shrugging, they settled back into their work.

__

In the morning I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I'll say a little prayer for you

While brushing my hair now

And wondering which dress to wear now

I'll say a little prayer for you

I'll Say a Little Prayer – Diana King

***


	12. Chapter Five - Planning and Plotting

PART TWO – MIDDLINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER FOUR – PLANNING AND PLOTTING

*     *     *

"Lily darling, wake up!" a voice floated up the stairs and drifted into the dreams of a sleeping redhead. She mumbled incoherently, and rolled over, determined to get more sleep.

"Lily, please could you get up? The fitter's coming in half an hour." The voice came again. Lily groaned, sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Once again, her aunts voice drifted up the stairs. "Lily, move yourself! And make yourself presentable for the fitter."

Lily groaned once more. She had forgotten that the fitter was coming today to make the measurements for her wedding dress, and to pick out the style of dress she wanted. Not that she wanted a wedding dress, in fact, she didn't even want a wedding. Not to be married to Severus Snape, anyway.

Sighing, she began to get dressed, and then a thrilling thought filled her head. Suppose she ran away? She could quite easily apparate to Jenine's house in Hogsmeade, and her Aunt and Uncle would never be able to find her because Muggle's aren't allowed into Hogsmeade. This thought made her shiver with excitement, but before she could put her plan into action, her cousin Sandi, popped her head around the door.

"Lily, you'd better get down there. Mum's about to have a blue-fit." Sandi said, and Lily moaned something about not wanting to get married. "Look, I feel really sorry for you having to marry that greaseball, but seriously, it looks like Mum's about to explode, so you'd better get down there PDQ!"

"Alright I'm going. But I'm going to need your help with something later Sandi, okay?"

"Yeah sure. Now go!"

Lily hurried out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the living room. Her Aunt was sitting on the couch with a formal looking old woman, who Lily supposed was the dress-fitter. They were looking through some catalogues, and didn't notice Lily come in. Lily cleared her throat, and the two women looked up.

"Ah, Lily. You're here. This is Mrs Vickers, the fitter. I'll leave you to it." Aunt Clara said, and she left the room. Lily felt uncomfortable in the presence of this stiff, formal woman.

"Well Lillian, your Aunt tells me you are quite reluctant to be married, but when you see some of the gowns we have to offer, I'm sure you'll change your mind." Mrs Vickers smiled, and this seemed to crack her lined face in half, making her look quite frightening.

Lily didn't say anything, which seemed to unnerve Mrs Vickers, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. When Lily didn't answer, she stood up, took out a tape measure and began to take her measurements. Lily half expected the tape measure to start measuring her of its own accord, which had happened so many times when she had visited Madam Malkins. But it didn't. For this reason, the measuring took a long time, and Lily began to get bored with standing there, this strange woman flitting around her.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, Mrs Vickers announced that she had finished.

"Finally!" Lily muttered under her breath, but Mrs Vickers did not hear her.

"Now Lillian dear, the next thing we have to do is to decide on the style of the wedding gown. Do you want big and poofy or slim and sexy?" Once again, she smiled her frightening smile.

"Neither thankyou." Lily replied.

"Well, I'll leave you these catalogues, and when you've decided on a style, you give me a bell and I'll whip it up in no time."

Lily nodded absently, her mind obviously elsewhere. Mrs Vickers hesitated, and then spoke once more.

"Well, I'll just be going then." Lily didn't answer, "I'll see myself out," she said, gathering up her catalogues, and then remembering that she'd said that she's leave them for Lily to look through. She then turned and headed for the front door, tripping over her shoe as she did so.

But even this didn't make Lily laugh, or even crack a smile. She was too absorbed in planning her escape; she would get Sandi to make up an excuse for her, and then by the time her aunt and uncle discovered she'd gone, she would be in Hogsmeade where they couldn't find her. It was the perfect plan, how could it go wrong?

*     *     *

Whilst Lily was contemplating her plan in Portsmouth, Jenine, Sirius, Remus, James and Charity were formulating a plan of their own.

Once James had got over the shock of finding out that Lily was being forced to marry Snape, he decided to come up with a plan to stop the wedding, and rescue Lily from the terrible fate of marrying Snape, as well as winning back her heart. Sirius, Remus and Charity were going to help of course. 

Sirius had suggested sending Peter, rat formed to spy at the Snape's house to try and find something that would sabotage the wedding, but this was dismissed because Peter was at present on an around the world cruise with his girlfriend, Vicky, and wouldn't be back for another two months.

In the end, it was decided that Charity would walk up the aisle in the place of Lily, which would disrupt the ceremony, and give Lily the chance to escape. They would undoubtedly be in trouble, but it would be worth it.

After this had been decided, Jenine left for her own house, lost in the thoughts of the scheme. Little did she or the others know that Ada the snake had heard every word they'd said, and was slithering back to her master at this very moment.

*     *     *

"And I need you to tell them I've gone shopping for some shoes to go with my wedding dress, okay?" Lily asked, and her cousin Sandi nodded slowly, looking doubtful. "And if they ask why I didn't tell them before I went out, say that, um, say that the sale in the shop is only open until noon, and so I had to go quickly."

Sandi nodded once more, and Lily smiled pleased, and picked up her wand preparing herself for the apparation.

"We will miss you, you know that, don't you? And when all this is over, you will come back and see us, won't you?" Sandi asked, and this time it was Lily who nodded. And then, without a moments hesitation, Lily put her hand on her old school trunk (which was now filled with all her belongings) and said the spell that would make her disapperate. 

Seconds later, she appeared in Jenine's kitchen, where Jenine was sitting with a cup of coffee and a magazine. Lily's sudden appearance made Jenine jump and spill the dark liquid on the white work surface.

"Lily! What are you doing here? I thought you were playing Rapunzel back at your Aunts house?"

"I was, but then I remembered that I was a witch, and I could get out of there at any time I wanted." Lily smiled, obviously pleased with herself.

"What about your Aunt and Uncle, won't they come looking for you?" Jenine said.

"They're Muggles. They can't get into Hogsmeade." Lily replied, "I was wondering if I could stay here for a while, until this all blows over?"

"Sure you can, but what if your Aunt and Uncle go to Snape? He'll guess that you've either come here or gone to James and Sirius's house, and he'll come looking for you." Jenine said.

"Oh yeah. I didn't think of that." she sat and thought for a moment, then her face lit up, "I know! I can do a spell which will stop Snape from finding me." Lily pointed her wand at herself and said "Personus a Severus Snape".

Jenine frowned. "What spell was that?" she inquired.

"It's a charm that I learned when doing some extension work for Flitwick once. It literally meant 'Lost to Severus Snape', no matter how hard he looks, even if he comes and knocks on the door right now and looks straight at me, he won't see me. I suppose it's a bit like an invisibility charm, but so only one person cannot see you." 

"Right. You can sleep in the guest room. You want some help unpacking your stuff?" Jenine said.

Lily nodded, and together they lifted the trunk and pulled it up the stairs and into the guest room.

*     *     *

"Ada. You're back. What have you got to report?"

"Potter, Black, Lupin, Watts and another girl are planning to sabotage the wedding." the snake hissed, "and they are speaking the truth, they will do it."

"Does Lily know of this plan?"

"No."

"Good. I must go now to inform the great Lord of the latest developments. He will see that they will be hurt. And the wedding _will_ go ahead. You mark my words."

And so Severus Snape made his way to the lair of his master, Lord Voldemort. Upon his arrival, he had to speak a password that only Death Eaters knew, and then his admission would be allowed.

"My Lord?"

"Yes Snape. What is it? I am very busy." replied the hooded figure.

"Potter, Black and Lupin are planning to sabotage the wedding. I thought perhaps you would like to deal with them?"

"A correct presumption Snape. I do not want any problems at this stage. Tomorrow I shall send out Avery to bring one of their little 'gang' to me. That should probably disrupt their plans. How were they planning to ruin the wedding?" Lord Voldemort asked.

Snape put his hand into his pocket and withdrew Ada. He quietly conversed with her for a few seconds and then put his reply to his master.

"They are planning to send Black's cousin down the aisle in place of Lily."

"Then I shall send somebody to bring me Black's cousin."

Snape nodded, and then they both heard a knock on the stone door. The door swung open, and in stepped Lloyd Malfoy, a piece of parchment clasped in his hand. He looked breathless, as though he had just been running very fast.

"Master," he panted, "Avery just sent this letter by owl. I thought you should read it. It concerns the girl." Malfoy gave a frightened glance at Snape who was standing in the shadows, and then he turned and ran.

Lord Voldemort unfolded the parchment and began to read out loud.

_"My Lord,_

_The girl is gone. She has fled her Aunt and Uncle's house. We are guessing that she has gone to Hogsmeade. We suggest that you get someone after her immediately,_

_with greatest regards,_

_Avery._

So. You're little fiancee has run away."

Snape shrank further back into the shadows.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go after her!" Snape didn't move. "NOW!" barked Lord Voldemort, and Snape scuttled towards the door.

"Bring her back to me. I want her alive. And whilst your there, you may as well bring me Black's cousin." Snape nodded and hurried out of the cave.

*     *     *

A/N: And so ends another chapter. Okay, I've been wondering how to write the bit when Lily and James die, and all the aftermath of that, and I was thinking of all the parts in the book, where they've sent innocent people to Azkaban and vice versa. And it got me wondering: Why didn't the ministry use Veritaserum on the suspected Death Eaters? And why didn't they use veritaserum on Sirius? They had plenty of opportunities to do that. Anyway, that was just a random thought.


	13. Chapter Six - Captured

A/N: A bit of Snape torturing in this one. Enjoy….

PART TWO – MIDDLINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER SIX – CAPTURED

*     *     *

Once he reached the bottom of the mountain, Snape hurriedly apparated into Hogsmeade. He didn't want to be near to that place any longer than needs be. Things had gone horribly wrong. Lily had run away, and he had to capture Black's cousin then take her to Voldemort. Things couldn't be worse for Snape.

When in Hogsmeade, he headed over to the Three Broomsticks, to ask the landlady, Dame Hannah (Madam Rosmerta's Mum) if she knew where Jenine Watts lived. She did, and Snape set off immediately, not wanting to be in the company of the cheery, ruddy faced woman a moment longer than was necessary.

Snape knocked on the blue door of the house that Jenine lived in, and after hearing muffled footsteps, and suppressed giggling, the door clicked open a crack, and two eyes peered out. On seeing who the visitor was, the door opened fully, and Jenine stood there with her arms folded over her chest, a glare on her face.

"What do you want?" she asked, and then turned her head and looked surreptitiously back into the hall.

"I just wondered if Lily, my fiancée was here." Snape replied, his tone gruff.

"No." Jenine replied shortly. "Why would she be? She lives at her Aunt and Uncle's house." Snape couldn't help noticing that she glanced around her every now and then, as if checking to see if something or some_body_ was there.

"Okay then." Snape said. "Do you know where she might be?"

"I've told you, at her Aunt's house. Now go." Jenine closed the door in his face, and as he walked down the path, he could have sworn he heard giggling, and Jenine talking to somebody in a hushed voice. That was decidedly odd.

He was about to apparate back to report to Voldemort, when he remembered the other task that his master had instilled upon him. And so, he trudged up to the house that Sirius, Remus and James shared, hoping that neither one of the three were home. It would be so much easier to deal with just the girl.

A little apprehensively, he knocked on the door. It was opened by a chubby girl with curly red hair, who was a few centimetres shorter than himself.

  
"Who are you?" she asked, taking in his hooked nose, sallow skin and greasy hair.

"Um," Snape replied, and at the same time he was thinking, he couldn't tell her his real name, Sirius and the others would have undoubtedly told her about him. Finally he answered, "Charlie Broggs."

Charity looked a little confused, and then she folded her arms across her chest, just as Jenine had done moments earlier.

  
"What do you want Mr Broggs?"

  
"Um, I'm doing a survey, on, um, whether or not you like Muggles."

"Some Muggles are okay, I s'pose. It's the nosy ones I don't like." Charity replied off-handedly, then she looked at Snape suspiciously.

"Is that all you've come for, Mr Broggs?" 

"Um, yeah." Snape reached into his pocket for his wand, "apart from this," and he pointed his wand at her and shouted "Stupefy!" Charity fell to the floor with a thump, and Snape smiled, showing his yellow teeth.

"Well that was easy," he said to no one in particular, "she's a few sandwiches short of a picnic, that one." and he kicked Charity in the back, then grabbed her wrist and apparated away to Voldemort's cave.

Once again he had to give the password to the death eater on guard, which he thought a bit stupid, after all, who could forget a face as handsome as his? But, he gave the password, and he was allowed access once more to Voldemorts inner space.

"Master. I have the girl."

"Evans?" Lord Voldemort replied sharply, glaring through his slit like eyes. Snape quailed under the glare.

"Um, no. The other girl. Black's cousin. I left her in the hall with Malfoy."

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO BRING ME EVANS?" Voldemort thundered, making the cave shake as his voice reverberated off the stone walls.

"She wasn't there. I went to her friends house and she wasn't there. Though, now I come to think about it, she was acting a little strange." Snape contemplated.

"In what way?" The Dark Lord said shortly.

"Well she kept looking behind her as though somebody else was there. And there was a lot of giggling." Snape frowned and then said, "now that I come to think about it, Lily could have been there under an invisibility charm."

"And you didn't check?" Voldemorts voice was dangerously quiet. Snape shook his head, knowing what was going to come.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort yelled, and Snape went rigid with pain and fell to the floor. He started writhing in agony, but Voldemorts ears were deaf to his pleas for help. Finally, after about five minutes, Voldemort lowered his wand. Snape stopped writhing and lay on the floor wailing. Voldemort kicked him with a bony foot.

"Get up you imbecile." Snape stayed where he was, "GET UP!" Snape stumbled to his feet and began to make his way to the door. Voldemorts parting words were "Fetch Avery."

*     *     *

"I can't believe it worked!" 

"I know! He couldn't see you at all. Or even hear you! You were making enough noise, they probably heard you in The Three Broomsticks." Jenine looked at her friend, smiling.

"Yeah, well, I was just trying to see how loud I could shout before he heard me." Lily replied laughingly.

"Yeah, well." Jenine replied.

  
"Yeah, well what?" Lily asked.

"I just couldn't think of anything else to say!" Jenine replied, and then the two burst into hysterical giggles.

An hour after Snape left, the two girls were sitting in the kitchen of Jenine's house drinking hot chocolate discussing the 'lost to Severus Snape spell'. Every now and then one of them would erupt into a fit of giggles, causing the other to do the same.

"So. D'you think Snape will send someone else to find you? You know, another wizard?"

The giggles subsided.

"I dunno. He could. But if someone does, you'll have to open the door, and I'll apparate away to somewhere else." Jenine was about to say something else, but she was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door.

"I'll get it," Jenine said, standing up, "it could be Snape back again, and if he saw the door opening apparently by itself, he may get a bit suspicious."

Lily nodded, and Jenine went to open the door. The rapping continued, and Jenine called "All right! I'm coming!" to the visitor, whoever it was.

She opened the door, and came face to face with a tall man with dark brown hair wearing black robes. She didn't recognise him, but he had a sinister, determined look upon his face.

"Who are you?" Jenine asked fearfully. She didn't like the look on his face one bit.

"My name is Mr Avery. I am looking for a Miss Lillian Evans." Jenine opened her mouth, but Mr Every cut her off. "Don't try to oppose me, I know she is here." He tried to push his way into the house, shoving Jenine into the wall. She caught his left arm to try and stop him, and in doing so, pulled up the sleeve of his robe to the elbow.

She gasped at what she saw there. An ugly mark, like a tattoo depicting a skull with a snake protruding from the mouth was imprinted upon his arm. Avery looked at her in disgust, pulled his arm away from her feeble grasp, and rolled his sleeve down. He then stormed into the kitchen.

Jenine ran outside of the house, screaming for help, anyone to help them. He neighbours appeared at their doors, confused, wondering why this girl would be standing in the middle of her path shouting. Seeing that no one was going to come and help, she ran back into the house and into the kitchen. There, she found Lily wrestling with Avery, but it looked like Avery had the upper hand.

Lily gave Jenine a frightened look of pure terror, and Jenine ran back outside to be greeted by Sirius. She didn't stop to wonder why he was there, but began talking at him, and dragging him into the house.

"Sirius, you've got to stop him! He's going to kill Lily!"

"Who is?" Sirius replied quickly, "who's going to kill Lily?"

"A death eater," she replied, crying now. She had already lost one best friend, in her Sixth Year at Hogwarts, she didn't want to lose another.

Sirius looked up sharply.

  
"A death eater?" he asked, and Jenine nodded. The two of them ran back into the kitchen in time to see Avery apparating away, his wrist holding a limp, unconscious Lily. There was silence.

*     *     *

A/N: Ooh! I'm sorry! That was sooooooooo bad. I knew what I wanted to write but it wouldn't come out properly! So I'm really sorry if it was badly written. But aside from that, please review!


	14. Chapter Seven - Crazy For You

A/N: Thankyou for all the lovely reviews. I'm glad you liked it. Here's Chapter Seven, where we see a bit more of James, and some lovely romancey stuff…perhaps…

PART TWO – MIDDLINGS

Eternity

CHAPTER SEVEN – CRAZY FOR YOU

__

Swaying room as the music starts

Strangers making the most of the dark

Two by two their bodies become one

I see you through the smoky air

Can't you feel the weight of my stare?

You're so close but still a world away

What I'm dying to say is that I'm crazy for you

Crazy for You – Madonna – Something to Remember

***

Jenine was crying. Sirius was doing his best to comfort her, but to no avail. Finally, when she'd stopped crying, her face hardened.

"We have to find her. She's been taken to You-Know-Who, that much we know, but where he is, I have no idea."

Sirius nodded. Then he spoke.

"Have you seen Charity anywhere? She seems to have disappeared. That's what I came over to ask."

Jenine looked at him with frightened eyes. Sirius looked back, equally frightened. The same thought seemed to have crossed their minds simultaneously.

"You don't think-"

"No, couldn't have-"

"But she probably went missing at the same time-"

"It's too much of a coincidence-"

"Yeah, but it's probably right. Avery could have taken Charity too." Sirius looked genuinely worried. Not only had one of his best friends been kidnapped by Lord Voldemort, but a member of his own family seemed to have been captured too. Something had to be done.

"Can I use your fire?" Sirius asked Jenine.

  
"Sure."

Sirius walked over to the fire, threw some yellow powder into it, and said: "Honeydukes Personnel Department." After a few moments, a woman's head appeared in the fire.

"Hello. How can I help you?" she asked, snapping a piece of bubblegum loudly in her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm need to speak to James Potter, he's a Product Analysis Technician."

"Oh. The new sweet tester. Hang on one moment please." She snapped her bubblegum again, and then her head disappeared from the flames. A moment later, James's head appeared in her place.

"Hey Sirius. What's up?"

"Lily's been kidnapped by You-Know-Who. And I think he's taken Charity as well."

"You're not serious are you?" James asked. Sirius didn't even make the usual 'Serious, Sirius' joke, for he was too worried.

"Deadly serious. I saw a Death Eater take Lily, and Charity disappeared around the same time. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together to come up with four." Sirius replied. James visibly paled, even in the red glow of the fire.

"What should we do?" James asked.

"Go and rescue them." Sirius replied shortly. James nodded, and then a few seconds later, his head disappeared and in the flames instead, a whirling figure could be seen. Moments after that, James tumbled out of the fire onto the hearth. He stood up and looked at the worried faces of his two friends.

"Okay. We need a plan, "James said determinedly, then, "damn. If Peter were not out of the country, we could send him in his rat form to spy on Voldemort, but seeing as he's not here, we need another plan. I think we should get Moony. See if he has any ideas."

Sirius nodded, and threw some of the yellow powder into the flames, and at the same time said "Magrathea". As was with the conversation to James earlier, Remus's head soon appeared in the flames. Once Sirius had told him the details, he stepped through the fire immediately.

"We need to know where Voldemort's lair is. If we don't know that, then we have no hope of ever finding them. Have any ideas, Remus?" Jenine said.

Remus looked around the room furtively, then looked as though he was having a silent argument with himself, which in fact, he was. Jenine, James and Sirius looked at him questioningly, and in the end, James began to get impatient with him.

"You know something Moony, what is it?"

"Okay. I know where Voldemort's lair is."

"What! How!" Sirius asked, suspiciously.

"Well, Voldemort's got it in for Werewolves, apparently, and Dumbledore thought it would be best that I knew where his hideout was." Remus replied.

"If you say so," Sirius said, still looking suspicious, but then he said: "So where is it?"

"His current hideout is in the mountains of South Wales. It's quite well hidden, so Dumbledore tells me, but if you have a map, I should be able to find it."

Jenine and James nodded, but Sirius remained sceptical.

"How does Dumbledore know where his hideout is? I mean Voldemort's not exactly going to put a flashing sign outside the mountain saying 'Voldemort Lives Here! Everyone's Invited!' is he?"

Remus sighed. "Look, I'm not supposed to tell you this, and I'll be in big trouble if the ministry find out, but Dumbledore has got some spies that pretend that they are on Voldemort's side, but are really helping our side. I'm not telling you who, or Dumbledore'll have my guts for garters."

Sirius nodded, satisfied for now, and Jenine pulled down a huge atlas from a shelf. She opened it to the pages that focused on Wales, and within minutes, Remus had found the mountain range where Voldemort's lair lay.

Once this had been established, Jenine did a tricky little charm that would enable them to go to an exact spot in the Atlas. Minutes later, the charm had been performed, and the four stood at the foot of a huge mountain. Looking around, they could see a lot of trees, and lots of mountains dotted with white. These flecks of white were the millions of sure footed sheep that inhabited the mountains of Wales.

The next thing to do was to find a way of entering the mountain without being caught. This proved to be the trickiest part yet. Having traversed the base of the mountain, and finding no passageway that would lead into the interior, the four sat down in a clearing in a wood a little way away.

"Anyone have any ideas of how to get in there?" Sirius asked.

  
The other three shook their heads, looking decidedly miserable. As night began to close in, they still hadn't thought of a way to enter the mountain, but it was unanimously decided that of they were going to continue looking, they ought to do it during the night. And so, as the sun sank beneath the horizon, they began to climb the mountain.

Now this may sound like a very stupid thing to do. They were unaided, having no climbing equipment, and there was the extra added inconvenience of it being, well, dark.

But climb the mountain they did, and after about an hour, they had not got very far. They had climbed about a quarter of the way up and were getting very tired. In vain they tried to find a ledge of some sort where they could rest, and after scrabbling around for a while (and after Sirius accidentally sent a shower of rocks down onto a poor unsuspecting sheep) they found what they were looking for. Protruding from the rockface, was a ledge that was about two metres wide. Thankfully the four scrambled up onto it, and there they spent the rest of the night, too tired to do any more climbing.

James awoke first the next morning to see rain. That was what had woken him. He looked around in dismay, any hopes of climbing had been ruined. The couldn't climb a slippery mountain, so they were obviously going to be resigned to staying on the small ledge until the rain stopped, and knowing Wales, that wouldn't be for a long time.

He shook Jenine, Sirius and Remus awake and explained the situation to them. Jenine almost cried in frusteration, and Sirius looked pretty close to tears as well, which was unusual for him.

"Great. We're going to be stuck up here all day." Jenine said angrily. Remus smiled. "What are you smiling for Lupin?" she said, just as angrily.

"Well if you'd actually been looking around you, rather than sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, you'd have seen this nice looking tunnel here." Remus pointed at a largish round hole at the very back of the ledge.

Jenine, James and Sirius looked behind them, hope apparent in each of their faces.

"That doesn't look like a nice tunnel." Jenine said, "it looks like a dark, damp and smelly tunnel."

"Well going down it is the only thing we can do. I'll go first." said James. It was obvious that he wanted to find Lily as soon as possible and make it up to her.

James stepped through into the tunnel, having to bend low so as not to scrape his head on the jagged roof. After he'd gone a few paces, he could hear Sirius climbing through the hole, followed by Jenine and then Remus.

James took out his wand and muttered "Lumos." A small sphere of light appeared on the end of it. behind him he heard three more voices say the same word, and a moment later, the tunnel was filled with light. But four wand lights were not really enough to see very far ahead into the tunnel, and so every step James took was a cautious one.

This was the right thing to do, because suddenly, without any warning, the tunnel became a flight of stairs leading downwards. They went down so far that James couldn't see the bottom. Descending the stairs took the best part of an hour, there were so many. Finally though, they reached the bottom. Here, there was a small door, apparently unlocked. From here they went carefully, for they had now entered Voldemort's territory.

They continued to traipse through the maze of tunnels, and with each turning they took, they became increasingly worried. Surely they should have run into a guard by now?

"This is weird. I don't like it. I'm sure Voldemort wouldn't have left that entrance unguarded, would he?" Sirius said.

"Not if he didn't know about it." James said. The others nodded, and Remus suggested that they put an invisibility charm on themselves, just in case.

Now, when under an invisibility charm, it is impossible to be seen, even by others who are also invisible. So it was quite understandable when James became separated from the group. It became apparent that he was alone when he realised that no one was answering him.

"Hello? Sirius? Remus? Jenine? Where'd you go? You know, this isn't funny anymore. I demand that you answer immediately!" But of course, no one did. Only after about ten minutes of frantic shouting did James realise that he was shouting in vain.

And so he carried on alone, quite daunted by the fact that he was on his own. After a while of disinterested wandering, he heard voices up ahead. Creeping quietly towards them he saw that they belonged to two burly men dressed in long black robes and cloaks. Death Eaters.

James stood still and pondered what to do. He could try going around them, and continuing into the heart of the mountain, or he could go back and try and find another way. He decided upon the first, after all, guards had to be guarding something. James hoped that it was Lily and Charity.

Ever so silently, so the guards could not hear him, and arouse their suspicions, James walked around them. They didn't notice him, and continued in their heated discussion about which was best: Tripe or Haggis?

The corridors which he now walked down were all lit with eerie green flames. Torches containing these dancing green flames were held in brackets on the rocky walls. James emerged from the end of the green flame tunnel, into another passageway, this time lit by purple flames. This wasn't quite as eerie, but still pretty strange. Did Voldemort have some secret fetish with coloured fire?

As he walked down this new passage, James couldn't help but notice the cells that had been hacked into the rock. These cells had no doors, but had iron bars that looked impenetrable. In some of these cells were bones. James didn't like to think where these had come from, but he did feel a bit brighter, he seemed to have stumbled across the dungeons where Voldemort kept his prisoners. His assumption seemed to be correct for in the next couple of cells were motionless figures. James couldn't tell whether they were sleeping or dead.

In the next cell he could see an old man. The man was pacing the cell, muttering gibberish to himself. James shivered despite the great heat that the purple flames seemed to be giving out. The he reached the end of the passage. His heart sank. He ran back up the tunnel peering into each cell, just in case he had missed Lily and Charity, but they weren't there. And so he continued into the next passageway. This was lined with heavy wooden doors, each one having about five locks.

Since he could not see into these cells, he pressed his ear against each door in turn. Finally, in the last but one cell, he could hear muffled crying.

James put his lips to one of the keyholes, and said, as loudly as he dared, "Lily? Charity? Are you in there?" There was no reply, and so he tried again.

He pressed his ear to the door again, and he could hear that the crying had stopped, and he could hear faint footsteps from inside. And then he heard a voice he knew and loved.

"James?" the voice sounded disbelieving, but it was definitely Lily.

"Lily! Are you okay? Is Charity with you?" James called, a little louder this time.

"James. I can't believe you are really here! I'm fine, and Charity's in here with me, but she isn't doing so good. We need to get her out of here as soon as possible. Can you get us out of here?"

Lily sounded so desperate and scared that James's heart melted. "I'll get you out of here." he said, determinedly. He took out his wand, and pointed it at the fist lock. "Alohamora!" he said, and the lock clicked open. James was surprised, he hadn't expected it to be that easy. Before he opened the door he removed the invisibility charm so that he could be seen. Hurriedly, he opened the other four locks and pulled the heavy door open.

Standing inside the room was Lily, her hair dirty and mussed, her robes ripped and her face muddy. When she saw James she practically leapt into his arms, hugging him as tight as she could. She only let go when James mumbled something about not being able to breath.

"Sorry." she said.

"it's all right. I'm just glad that you're okay." He pulled her close and kissed her quickly before asking where Charity was.

"Over here." Lily said, pulling on James's hand. She led him over to a pile of blankets on the floor, where he could see a mop of curly red hair spilling from the top. James pulled the blankets down so he could see her face. It was deathly pale.

"She's been like this since they dumped me in here yesterday. She won't wake up."

"Are you sure she's not-"

"No, she's not dead. She's still breathing." Lily replied.

"Have you tried waking her magically?" James asked.

"Can't. They took my wand. You could wake her up though. You've got your wand." Lily said, she was now visibly shaking.

"Right." James pointed his wand at the inert figure that was Charity. Then, he whispered "Enervate." Slowly, Charity began to stir until she was awake. She didn't sit up immediately, but lay where she was holding her head. And then, as if nothing had happened, she sprang up.

"My God! My head don't half hurt! Where are we? Last thing I remember was opening the door to this man who called himself Mr Broggs and he invited himself in and then he knocked me out, I think. Don't remember anything else." Charity said this all very fast, in her usual fashion.

While Charity had been talking James had been checking the corridor outside and then he turned back to the two girls.

"I think we should go now, while we have the chance. Charity, do you have your wand?" he said.

"Yep. Never leave the house without it. Actually, now you've mentioned it, I think I did leave the house with it once, I was late for a Dentist appointment and I was in a bit of a rush-"

"Charity, we'll hear your story later. Right now I think we should get out of here. I've got a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

Lily nodded. "Me too. Why does Charity need her wand, James?"

"We need to put invisibility charms on us all, there are two guards up there, and we need to be invisible or they'll see us. I can't make us all invisible with just my wand, so Charity needs hers too." James explained.

Charity reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand. "Right. What do I do?"

"Point your wand at yourself and say 'Scormpario'" Lily replied.

"Right." Charity did this, and immediately disappeared. Then, James pointed his wand first at Lily and said the charm, and then at himself. They both disappeared.

"Okay, we need to hold each others hands so we don't get separated. I already lost Sirius, Remus and Jenine that way." James said, apparently to thin air. Charity and Lily made their way over to where James had been standing last and felt about for him. Eventually they found each other.

Then, they walked out into the corridor, and James re-locked the door, so it didn't arouse any suspicion by being unlocked. He led the girls along the corridor with the purple torches, and then into the one with the green torches, where live prisoners were being held. They emerged from this tunnel into the cave where the two guards stood. They were still arguing about something or other, and as silently as three invisible people could, they crept past them without event.

Next came the maze of tunnels. When they had travelled quite far into these tunnels, James suggested removing the invisibility charm. It was quite disconcerting to speak to, seemingly no one.

They did this, and then James had to concentrate on finding the flight of stairs that led up to the ledge of rock that he, Sirius, Jenine and Remus had spent last night, which already seemed years ago. Eventually, after many twists and turns, they found the stairs, and here Charity rushed ahead of Lily and James, obviously eager to reach the top and get some fresh air, as the air in the tunnels had been very thick and suffocating.

Lily and James climbed the stairs more slowly, and were soon left behind by Charity. James was thinking. He didn't know what he'd have done had he not found Lily, or worse, found her dead. He didn't ever want to lose her again, and it was this thought that made him pose the next question. Lily had been burbling on about something or other, James didn't really know as he had been too submerged in his own thoughts, when all of a sudden, he blurted out:

"Marry me."

"What?" Lily said and stopped walking, obviously shocked, she hadn't been expecting that.

"I want you to marry me."

Lily was silent for a few moments, and James took this as a bad sign.

"Don't you want to marry me?" he asked, and for the first time in his life, he sounded uncertain.

"Of course I do!" Lily said, reaching up and kissing him, "it's just that I always imagined being proposed to by someone who did it properly, you know, the down on one knee thing."

"Right." James said, and he got down on one knee, grasped Lily's hand and was about to ask her again when a shout from below made both of them freeze in fear.

"HEY! What are you two doing up there?"

__

Swaying room as the music starts

Strangers making the most of the dark

Two by two their bodies become one

I see you through the smoky air

Can't you feel the weight of my stare?

You're so close but still a world away

What I'm dying to say is that I'm crazy for you

Crazy for You – Madonna – Something to Remember

***

A/N: I am so evil! Well that's a nice little cliffhanger for you to contemplate! Anyway review, and see if you can guess what's going to happen.


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